- Published: November 16, 2021
- Updated: November 16, 2021
- University / College: George Mason University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 17
Does Shakespeare Believe In Revenge? I think that Shakespeare believes that revenge is acceptable because in his play “ Hamlet” Shakespeare has Hamlet, Laertes, and Young Fortinbras all want and try to just about everything in there will power to seek out revenge for their fathers. First, when Hamlet sees the ghost who claims to be the Ghost of his father, the ghost tells him that Claudius Killed hamlet. He is unsure about that, but around act three scene 2 or three, Hamlet assembles this play for the king and the queen, and, seeing how Claudius responded to it, Hamlet seemed to be sure that he did indeed kill his Father. Once he decided that Claudius is guilty he begins to act insane and plans out his revenge. Laertes, in a parallel revenge, seeks revenge against Hamlet for killing his father, Polonius, and the early death of his sister Ophelia. Claudius agrees that Laertes deserves to be revenged upon Hamlet, since Hamlet’s erratic behavior has made him a threat to Claudius’s reign. The king speculates that if Hamlet could be tempted into a duel with Laertes, it might provide Laertes with the chance to kill him. Laertes agrees, and they settle on a plan. Laertes will use a sharpened sword rather than the customary dull fencing blade. Laertes also proposes to poison his sword, so that even a scratch from it will kill Hamlet. Hamlet does die, but not before Laertes, so Laertes never does get his revenge against Hamlet. After his father was defeated and killed in combat by Hamlet’s deceased father, the old King Hamlet took his land. Fortinbras wants to defeat Denmark in the name of his father. Both Hamlet and Laertes try to take revenge, both ends up dead. Fortinbras on the other hand has every reason to take revenge as Hamlet senior (ghost) killed his father however he doesn’t and he ends up as king! It does seem that the rash actions are the ones which lead to tragedy.